


Trajectory

by AzazelUnborn



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Ableism, Ableist Language, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Not Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Compliant, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-27
Updated: 2019-03-27
Packaged: 2019-12-18 16:23:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18253499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AzazelUnborn/pseuds/AzazelUnborn
Summary: Fifteen year old Scorpius has it all. He's near top of most of his classes, adored by students and teachers alike, and dating the pride of Ravenclaw herself, Rose Weasley. But all at once, his comfortable life is turned upside-down as he finds himself inexplicably intertwined with Albus Potter, the black sheep of Slytherin, who consistently defies his every expectation.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings. This fic isn't particularly planned so if you're here to stick around I hope you bear with me on this journey. I'm trying to get back into writing because I have a few ideas I'd love to get out of my system but my discipline has been somewhat lacking in the past.
> 
> A Few Disclaimers:
> 
> The rating may increase as this story progresses but I'm going to keep it consistent with what I have published.
> 
> As mentioned in the summary, there's a bit of Rose/Scorpius in the beginning here. I don't have it tagged because it's obviously not the focus of this work. It's going to be a pretty awkward, barely there relationship, but you have been warned.
> 
> My characterizations of Albus and Scorpius are influenced by Cursed Child but not compliant with the script.
> 
> I've also added quite a few OCs to flesh out life at Hogwarts a little. Scorpius needed friends and classmates, after all. I'm not particularly certain what roles they will play in the story.
> 
> I'll add a comprehensive list of original characters to the ending notes of each chapter for the sake of clarity.

Against all odds, Scorpius Malfoy led a charmed life. Before his first year at Hogwarts, his father had warned him that because of his role in the war, not everyone would look on him favorably. While Scorpius knew that in the beginning many had whispered behind their hands about the Malfoy heir, the families very public legal pardoning with the support of Harry Potter himself had made speaking out against him directly frowned upon, at the very least. So, Draco's fears had been mostly unwarranted. In addition, Scorpius was extraordinarily charming. He had been brought up a proper pureblood and it showed in the polite dignified way he carried himself even as a young child. Yet he also possessed a modesty and emotional intelligence that Draco had only gained well into his adulthood. This combination of assets made Scorpius seem capable and wise beyond his years, which impressed children and adults alike and encouraged them to respect him. Not to mention, he had inherited his father’s refined and handsome features and his mother’s quick wit, which contributed favorably to the overall impression he gave.

 

It was currently Scorpius’ fifth year of wizarding education and he had all but bewitched the population of Hogwarts. He was a favored student of virtually all of his teachers and extraordinarily beloved amongst his peers, especially for a Slytherin student. His own house also respected and acknowledged him as his popularity was good for their public image and encompassed everything a successful Slytherin ought to be. Personally, Scorpius knew he was well liked but didn’t pay the opinions of others considerable attention. He felt optimistic about the upcoming year. The previous term he’d finally summoned the courage to ask out Rose Weasley, pride of Ravenclaw and the girl of his dreams. They'd communicated over the summer, though admittedly mostly about school work. Perhaps it wasn’t the most romantic or intimate of conversations but Scorpius supposed it suited them. They were both top of their year after all and equally determined to remain so. Though they hadn’t interacted much over the course of their Hogwarts career, the pair had developed an academic rivalry in their first year which had continued to the present. Frustration over being frequently outperformed by the pretty Ravenclaw girl had eventually led to a bit of an infatuation on Scorpius’ part. No surprise, they had both also made prefect this year and would have the added responsibility of the duties that came with the position. Scorpius was massively excited about the prospect of spending more time with the beautiful Ravenclaw. She was everything he’d ever been told to want and despite her parentage, Scorpius was almost certain his father would at least grudgingly approve. The Malfoy’s had mostly dropped their blood purity rhetoric after the war. Whether the reasons behind it were genuine reformation or self preservation, Scorpius couldn’t say. He knew that his father still retained some of his ingrained prejudices but he supposed that it was more of a symptom of his childhood than a genuine political agenda.

 

The Hogwarts Express jolted away from Platform 9 & 3/4 as Scorpius began to make his way to the unofficial Slytherin compartments. The house had a long standing tradition of staking out their area of the train and would eject those unlucky enough to accidentally encroached on their territory. For the most part, the other houses respected their claim.

 

Scorpius glanced into the compartments as he passed hoping to find a deserted one or perhaps some of his friends. Seeing one that appeared empty, he slid open the compartment door and ventured inside. Embarrassingly, he immediately realized he'd been too hasty and that the room already possessed an occupant. Albus Potter looked up at him as he entered, staring at him expressionless through his unnaturally green eyes.

 

"Oh, sorry. I thought it was empty," Scorpius blurted in explanation.

 

Potter just continued to stare at him placidly without saying a word.

 

"Right I'll just...be on my way then," Scorpius said mostly to fill the awkward silence. Potter's fluorescent gaze continued to bore into him sending a shiver down his spine and goose flesh to creep down his arms.

 

Scorpius abruptly turned and snapped the compartment door shut behind him.

 

"Absolute lunatic," he muttered.

 

Scorpius, frankly, did not know much about Albus Potter. They shared a dorm but Potter kept thoroughly to himself and Scorpius had no reason to interact with him. Potter was, in a word, weird. He was a completely average student and rarely spoke in class. As far as Scorpius knew, he had no friends to speak of and spent most of his time alone doing Merlin knew what. There had been plenty of rumors flying around about Potter over the years and they were often unkind. Some said Potter was mentally challenged but that it was kept a secret due to his parents fame. Others said that Potter had gotten into a magical accident as a child which rendered him magically inept and possibly mute or deaf. Whatever the truth it was abundantly clear that Potter lacked basic social skills and was a rather disappointing addition to an otherwise exceptional family. His siblings James and Lily were creative, popular, attractive, and well liked all around. No one knew how a child like Albus had come to reside amongst the Potter's. A Slytherin and a thoroughly mediocre one to boot, he'd proved to be the antithesis of what the wizarding world expected of a Potter; awkward and unexceptional.

 

Putting Albus Potter firmly out of his thoughts, Scorpius ventured down the train until finally finding the compartment where his friends had situated themselves.

 

"Scorpius!! How was your summer, love?"

 

Jasper Zabini draped himself over Scorpius with his usual tactile flare. At 183 cm, he was the tallest of their group and though he was only slightly taller than Scorpius, it had always bothered him a little. Jasper had been one of Scorpius' first friends in Slytherin through no other mechanism except for sheer relentless persistence. He'd rather rudely barged into Scorpius' compartment that first train ride to Hogwarts and inquired with exaggerated flair, "Malfoy, I presume?"

 

Scorpius remembered being rather taken aback by the situation but confirmed his suspicions warily, unable to think of anything else to say. He’d been a bit alarmed that the boy might accost him due to his heritage or something equally absurd.

 

“Excellent, I’ll be sitting here then.”

 

Scorpius had been too polite to refuse and too bewildered to say anything except, “If you must I suppose?”

 

Jasper had gracelessly draped his slight eleven year old body across the seat opposite Scorpius and winked at him with an obnoxious smirk on his face.

 

“I have a feeling you’re going to achieve great things and I’d like to be a part of them.”

 

At the time, Scorpius had thought him rather presumptuous and arrogant. Now, he knew it for a fact. Scorpius couldn’t even say what had transpired between them but within a matter of months they were inseparable. Jasper grew on nearly everyone who met him eventually, like fungus.

 

Scorpius smiled exasperatedly at the young man draped over his shoulder.

 

“Nice to see you, Jasper. Though I can’t say I missed not having a perpetually sore neck without you around.” Scorpius made a show of shrugging him off while Jasper clung to him, protesting.

 

Clement Patton, another of Scorpius’ closest friends, raised his auburn head just slightly from the copy of the prophet he was reading to nod at Scorpius in greeting before ignoring the pair completely.

 

“Alright boys, cut it out. Stop acting like a pair of first years please I thought we were past this.” Lenore Cullen rolled her bright hazel eyes at them from the seat opposite Clement. She was often the only one willing to restore order amongst the group and consistently the only person capable of keeping Jasper on a short leash.

 

Scorpius stored his trunk away and settled into the space next to Clement.

 

“Where’s Cornelia?” he inquired.

 

“Haven’t seen her,” Lenore remarked, “But I’m sure she’ll find us eventually.”

 

“How was France this year?” Clement asked Scorpius, finally looking up from his reading.

 

“Same as always,” Scorpius replied, stretching lightly in his seat, “Father’s still so overprotective. He’d never let me wander around wizarding Paris alone so I didn’t get out much. I don’t understand why I mean I’m fifteen for Merlin’s sake!”

 

“And too much of stickler to sneak out,” Jasper jeered with a yawn.

 

Scorpius bristled.

 

“You don’t know my father like I do. He’d literally kill me.”

 

“Not, literally, surely,” Lenore’s honeyed voice was laden with sarcasm.

 

“Please, he treats you like fine china I doubt he’d ever so much as sniff disapprovingly in your direction.”

 

Scorpius was well aware Jasper thought him spoiled. Which, admittedly, he probably was compared to a lot of people but the assumption still irked him. Before he could defend himself however the compartment door slid open again to reveal the last member of their little group.

 

“Glad to see all you degenerates back together at last.”

 

Cornelia Chambers-Parkinson was the shortest of their group and by far the most intimidating. She had wide long lashed eyes that were anything but innocent and a perfectly formed heart shaped face like a 19th century haunted doll. Her long black hair was frequently tied in a loose intricate braid and piled neatly over her shoulder. She was Scorpius’ oldest friend as their parents had known each other at Hogwarts and had introduced them as toddlers.

 

Seeing Scorpius, her eyebrows raised slightly in surprise.

 

"Darling, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in the prefects compartment?"

 

Scorpius' eyes widened, "Oh, fuck me!" He leaped up and practically bolted out the sliding door, Jasper’s laughter trailing after him as he went.

 

He sprinted to the prefects compartment where the new fifth year prefects were all already gathered for orientation. Scorpius smiled sheepishly at the group.

 

“Sorry I’m late.”

 

“It’s no trouble, Malfoy, we’ve only just started,” said the Head Girl, congenially. Scorpius thought he recognized her from previous years but couldn’t quite remember her name. Luckily, she didn’t give him an opportunity to respond. As she began speaking, Scorpius managed to catch Rose’s eye. He smiled conspiratorially at her and was relieved when she returned the look with a small polite grin of her own. Scorpius swooned internally. He stared at her a bit longer than was strictly polite, wondering if he could count the freckles scattered like constellations across her face.

 

The Head Girl and Boy spent the next half hour discussing their responsibilities as prefects as well as their patrol schedules throughout the term. Scorpius listened as intently as he was able but he honestly thought it quite tedious. His gaze kept drifting over to Rose and her cute little button nose and her perfectly formed gently pink lips…

 

Scorpius nearly yelped aloud as the heel of his fellow Slytherin prefect, Liana Bulstrode, grinded mercilessly into the toes of his right foot. He glared at her viciously but nevertheless turned to focus on the Head Boy and Girl for the rest of the meeting.

 

As soon as the meeting was concluded, Bulstrode rounded on Scorpius.

 

“I won’t be picking up your slack in Slytherin just so you can go off cavorting with your stupid Ravenclaw girlfriend,” she hissed, “You can do that on your own time but I expect us to share the workload evenly I won’t be put behind on my OWL studies just because you can’t keep it in your pants.”

 

“Alright, alright, calm down. I wouldn’t dream of it,” assured Scorpius, already craning his neck to make sure he didn’t miss Rose leaving.

 

Bulstrode rolled her eyes but made no further comment and stalked out of the compartment.

 

“Hi,” said Scorpius.

 

“Hi,” replied Rose.

 

Scorpius stared at her, palms sweating. He’d never felt so awkward in his life. Except for every other time he’d been in Rose’s presence, he supposed.

 

“I, er, did you have a good summer?” asked Scorpius lamely.

 

“Yes, I did actually. Nothing exciting but it was nice to spend time with family without classes getting in the way.”

 

“Oh, yeah. Definitely.”

 

“I enjoyed your letters immensely.”

 

“Oh, that’s good. Great, actually! Really great. I’m glad.” Scorpius could feel his cheeks burning as he descended further and further into idiocy by the minute.

 

Rose laughed pleasantly and Scorpius felt the burning in his face travel up to his ears and down his neck.

 

“So,” ventured Rose while Scorpius was still trying to remember how to put two words together, “Would you like to meet up to study sometime once term starts?”

 

“Yes!” Scorpius practically shouted and then in a slightly calmer voice, “I’d love that.”

“Great, I’ll be in touch once I know what my schedule will be like,” Rose said, sounding a bit like she was arranging a business meeting.

 

“Yeah, that sounds great! I’ll see you then. Er, when we make plans, that is,” Scorpius stuttered out.

 

“Okay, I’ll see you around,” Rose said as she drifted out the door gracing him with one of her small, sweet smiles as she left.

 

“See you….” called Scorpius, raising a hand even as she turned away, unable to witness the gesture.

 

Once she was out of ear shot, Scorpius sighed deeply. He was decently charismatic when it came to literally anything besides dating and then he turned into a blubbering maniac. He just wanted to curl up in some dark abandoned corner of the train and forget the last two minutes of his life. Neurotically running over and over his interaction with Rose in his mind, Scorpius wandered back to his compartment.

 

His friends had bought sweets from the trolley in his absence and appeared to be trading their goods. Clement looked up as he came in.

 

“What’s got you so anxious? Did it not go well with Weasley?”

 

“It went...fine,” Scorpius collapsed on the seat with an exhausted sigh.

 

“I just act like a complete nutter around her and I don’t know why she’s just so pretty and sweet and I can’t think of a damn thing to say around her.”

 

“Aww, our poor Romeo,” crooned Jasper.

 

“You’re trying too hard to impress her,” suggested Lenore, “Don’t try so hard next time. Just talk to her like she’s any other girl.”

 

“But she’s not any other girl!” Scorpius threw his hands up in the air,” She’s Rose bloody Weasley.”

 

“So?” Cornelia challenged, raising an eyebrow, “You act like she’s Rowena Ravenclaw herself.”

 

“She might as well be,” Scorpius moaned, “She’s just...perfect. I don’t want to mess this up.”

 

“Mate, if she’s worth it, she won’t mind you being, well, Scorpius. And frankly, if she does mind, she can stuff it,” Jasper said, rubbing circles into Scorpius’ back.

 

“I can’t believe I’m saying this but, Jasper’s right Scor,” Lenore said, shuddering as if the words pained her physically, “You should be with someone you can be yourself around. I know you’ve always had this idea in your head that you’re meant to be with Rose but you have to let these things happen naturally. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself. You’re really just getting to know each other. Things aren’t going to be perfect right away.”

 

Scorpius’ shoulders sagged.

 

“You’re probably right. I just wish I didn’t get so nervous around her I feel pathetic.”

 

Clement looked at him disdainfully, “Don’t be ridiculous, you’re far from pathetic. You’re intelligent, good looking, and rich. She’s an exceptionally lucky woman.”

 

Cornelia nodded in agreement, “It’s true. The pair of you are the envy of Hogwarts at the moment. Fifth year’s most eligible together at last.”

 

Scorpius covered his ears and put his head between his legs, “Oh, please stop you’re only making it worse.”

 

“Oh, Scor you know we live to tease,” Lenore said apologetically. Scorpius was pleased to note that the mocking edge to her tone was much more diminished than usual.

 

“In all honesty though, you’re brilliant and you have nothing to worry about I promise you.”

 

“If you say so,” said Scorpius ruefully, “Let’s just hope I remember that before I’m alone with Rose again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Compulsive heterosexuality is a hell of a drug.
> 
> I really dislike Scorpius' nickname but I feel like he needs one with a name like 'Scorpius'. I think he probably dislikes the nickname too but has given up trying to change it at this point.
> 
> Original Characters:  
> Jasper Zabini (S) - 5th Year  
> Clement Patton (S) - 5th Year  
> Lenore Cullen (S) - 5th Year  
> Cornelia Chambers-Parkinson (S) - 5th Year  
> Liana Bulstrode (S) - 5th Year - Prefect
> 
> Key:  
> (S): Slytherin


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scorpius discovers something he never knew about Albus Potter.

The start of term feast unfolded much the same as it always had. After the sorting, Scorpius briefly greeted a few of his friendly acquaintances in Slytherin and Ravenclaw. He made eye contact with Rose and half waved in her direction, causing her to smile back in acknowledgement. Rose’s group of Ravenclaw girlfriends glanced conspicuously over at him and giggled among themselves, bringing a slight flush to Scorpius’ cheeks. Lenore also noticed their reaction and sniffed disapprovingly.

 

“A bunch of harpies if I ever saw them. Don’t get me wrong Scor, Rose is alright by me but her posse is positively dreadful. You should hear the way they chatter away in the loo. Absolutely vapid,” she sniffed superiorly.

 

“Well, I’m not dating them,” Scorpius argued feeling somewhat defensive.

 

Lenore raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow but dropped the conversation.

 

“So, think we stand a chance against Gryffindor in quidditch this year?” Jasper cut in.

 

Scorpius winced. He had been made Slytherin chaser in his second year. Though he’d been trying to make seeker to impress his father, he had found the position suited him much better than expected. They’d been close to winning the Quidditch Cup in his previous year only to have it stolen from under their noses by the Gryffindor team at the last minute. Lily and James Potter and Hugo Weasley were the powerhouse trio of the Gryffindor team. There had been complaints initially that Lily and Hugo’s inclusion on the team as second years had been due to nepotism given that James was captain but after seeing the evidence of their skills on the quidditch pitch, those rumors were quickly dispelled. Apparently, the Potter-Weasley clan had a longstanding family tradition of recreational quidditch matches which they had all been participating in since they could walk. As such, the three were both technically proficient at commanding a broomstick and seamless in their teamwork. Being directly related to the legendary Holyhead Harpies member and three time World Cup champion, Ginny Weasley, probably didn’t hurt their prowess. It was absolutely infuriating.

 

“We have to beat them this year,” grumbled Scorpius, “Slytherin house won’t tolerate another defeat.”

 

“If we’re going to stand a chance we better hope we get some new blood in this year,” Clement said darkly.

 

Scorpius didn’t care to speak ill of his teammates but privately acknowledged that Clement was right. Their current seeker, Gabriel Goyle, was disastrously incompetent. But the team had been unable to find a suitable replacement for him, so he remained. Though seeker was probably the flashiest and most celebrated position on any quidditch team it was also one of the most exhausting to play and difficult to master. It required a level of agility, reflexes, and aerial competence that was mostly innate to the individual making it very difficult to train for the position. Their captain, Greyson Hall, had privately discussed switching Scorpius and Goyle but ultimately, Scorpius was the linchpin of their chaser trio and couldn’t be sacrificed as his scoring ability was the only thing keeping the Slytherin team from crushing defeat.

 

“We’ll just have to wait and see at tryouts I suppose,” said Scorpius, “Who knows? Maybe someone will surprise us.”

 

Once the start of term feast drew to a close, Scorpius bade a reluctant goodbye to his friends and assumed his prefect duties of shepherding the first through fourth year stragglers down to the Slytherin common room. Once he’d seen to it that the younger years were properly corralled, he stopped by quicky in the boy’s dormitory to relax for a few minutes before his rounds. Jasper greeted him with a pillow to the face which he chucked back unceremoniously before diving head first into his mattress and breathing into it face down, body limp as a corpse. After a full minute he rolled over, groaning exaggeratedly and sat up to face Jasper and Clement. Out of their three remaining dormmates, two were present; Davis and Montague. Scorpius greeted them politely. They weren’t his favorite people in the world but they were decent enough, if a bit boring. Scorpius’ eyes were drawn to the trunk at the foot of the single empty bed emblazoned with the initials ‘A.S.P.’

 

“Has anyone seen Potter?” he wondered aloud.

 

“Nah, he hasn’t been up here at all tonight s’far as I know,” Davis responded.

 

“He’s always off on his own anyway,” said Clement, “I wouldn’t worry about it.”

 

“Well, it is sort of my responsibility now unfortunately.” Scorpius reminded them.

 

“Oh don’t tell me you’re going to go out looking for him,” whined Jasper, “It’s only our first night back you have all term to worry about that freak.”

 

“I don’t have it out for him specifically,” Scorpius protested, “I’m assigned to rounds tonight anyway there’s no way around it.”

 

Jasper stared at him in horror, “That’s absolute shit. Thank Merlin I didn’t make prefect.”

 

Clement snorted, “No one in their right mind would’ve made you one.”

 

“I’ll see you later,” Scorpius called back to them as he exited the dormitory, leaving his friends to bicker goodnaturedly.

 

There was no sign of Albus Potter or any other Slytherin in the common room when Scorpius arrived. Apparently, Bulstrode had already left to complete her rounds, not bothering to wait for him. Scorpius was infinitely glad to be free of her nagging.

 

The dungeons were eerily quiet but Scorpius diligently swept the length of them, keeping an eye out for truant students. Finding no disturbances, he relaxed after a while and made his way back up to the great hall, to monitor the first floor corridors. On the first night of term, it didn’t seem likely that many students would be out of the common room after hours. Most would be too content to be reunited with their friends again to venture outside their dorms.

 

Eventually, Scorpius stopped looking for students entirely and simply strolled along, enjoying the peaceful silence of the castle at night. In the low light, the forest and grounds outside the windows looked almost black, the outlines of the trees cutting jagged patterns into the sparkling indigo sky. Far from muggle light pollution or civilization of any kind, the night sky was vibrant and dazzling and Scorpius breathed in the sight of it.

 

Abruptly, he started as a black shape whizzed across the skyline, blacking out the stars. Scorpius felt a sense of alarm grip him as this unknown entity disrupted his perfect solitude. He blinked once, then twice almost sure he’d imagined it. Until it shot past his eye line again, a blackened silhouette against the equally dark night. After a moment's hesitation, he turned around towards the entrance hall, resolving to investigate further. He wildly imagined it might be a dementor but then chided himself for his idiocy. Dementors were slow fliers and more importantly were unable to penetrate the wards surrounding Hogwarts.

 

Without realizing, Scorpius broke into a run, bolting towards the great oak doors which swung wide with a terribly loud creak at his approach. The grass outside was squelching and wet under his feet and the night air bit at his pale cheeks. He ran along the outer length of the castle wall before stopping under the windows he’d been gazing out of minutes previously. His eyes strained against the penetrating darkness, looking for the slightest disturbance.

 

He found it again only this time he was able to keep his eyes trained on the shape as it arced gracefully through the air. With a shock, he realized it was a figure on a broom engaged in some of the best flying he’d ever seen. The figure looped seamlessly through the air changing direction with pin point, seemingly effortless accuracy. But despite their speed and frequent changes in directionality, their movements were graceful like an expertly choreographed aerial ballet. The figure danced through the sky with hawk-like grace. There was no doubt in Scorpius’ mind that despite being a terrestrial mammal, this individual had been born to be a creature of the sky.

 

The figure dived for the ground without warning and Scorpius winced instinctively, feeling certain that they would crash. But the broom and its rider righted themselves and settled smoothly on the wet grass, barely making a sound. Scorpius stared open mouthed at the figure, still awestruck. Even as the figure moved towards him, Scorpius stood rooted to the spot, unwilling to make a sound as if doing so would break some unspoken spell that had been cast into the night. The figure had not noticed him and continued to walk towards the entrance hall. As he came towards the castle, the light emanating from its windows illuminated the figure’s face and Scorpius’ mouth fell completely open once again. Barely six meters before him stood Albus Potter of all people. Potter seemed to notice Scorpius at the exact moment Scorpius recognized him. His expression tightened minutely but was otherwise unreadable.

 

Then he called out to Scorpius in the night, his voice considerably lower than Scorpius remembered, “Has the great Slytherin prefect come to discipline me?” Inexplicably, a muscle tightened in Scorpius’ thigh. He struggled to formulate a response over the nervousness rising within him, the origins of which he couldn’t quite place. In some far corner of his brain he became aware that Potter was still walking towards him. Looking closely at Potter’s face, Scorpius took note of the changes there that he hadn’t realized earlier on the train. Potter was taller than he had been last year, still a few centimeters shy of Scorpius but a decent height. He had filled out more as well and was slim and muscled where he had been awkward and gangly. His jaw had squared off nicely complementing the thick dark lashes of his eyes which paired with his younger face had made him look almost feminine but now enhanced his already handsome face. When he had finally opened his mouth to speak, Potter was standing directly before him.

 

“How’d you know I made prefect?”

 

Potter didn’t answer immediately but raised his hand and for a brief, wild moment Scorpius thought Potter was going to caress his face. But then he tapped his index finger twice against the prefect badge pinned to Scorpius’ chest. 

 

“The whole school knows what you get up to most days, though. Prince of Slytherin and all,” there was a mocking tone in Potter’s voice that Scorpius didn’t especially care for.

 

“You fly brilliantly,” Scorpius said, changing the subject.

 

“Yes,” he said simply, “I do.”

 

And there it was again. The social ineptitude Albus Potter had become famous for.

 

“You should try out for the Slytherin team this year,” Scorpius tried again, “We need a new seeker and I bet you’d be brilliant.”

 

Potter’s eyes narrowed.

 

“No.”

 

Annoyance gripped Scorpius like a vice.

 

“Why though? You’re obviously talented. Slytherin could really use a win this year.”

 

Potter stared at Scorpius and those unnatural, piercing eyes bore into him.

 

“I fly for myself.”

 

Scorpius wanted to argue but something in Potter’s tone made him accept the finality of the statement.

 

“Well,” said Potter, his lip curling, “If I’m not to be punished I’ll leave you to your...princely duties.”

 

With a short mock curtsey, Potter turned away from Scorpius and resumed his trek back to the castle. Scorpius stared after him in confused and irritable silence, then followed him. By the time Scorpius had made it back to the Entrance Hall, Potter was gone.

 

The rest of the boys were asleep by the time Scorpius returned to the dormitory but Potter’s bed was still conspicuously vacant. Trying not to dwell on where the boy had gone, Scorpius settled down to sleep. His odd encounter with Potter kept replaying in his head. It occurred to Scorpius that in five years, tonight’s conversation was the longest he’d ever had with Potter. Generally, the boy never spoke to anyone even when spoken to so the fact that they had conversed at all was by itself a miraculous event. Why had it never occurred to him as odd that he had slept in the same room as the boy for five years and knew virtually nothing about him? Scorpius realized with some surprise that this bothered him. He wanted to understand the Slytherin outcast though it was more out of morbid curiosity than anything like pity. Potter was an unknown and Scorpius wasn’t comfortable being kept in the dark about anything. He was determined to unravel the mystery of Albus Potter, even against his better judgement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess Scorpius has a jock boner for Albus now...?
> 
> Original Characters:  
> Jasper Zabini (S) - 5th Year  
> Clement Patton (S) - 5th Year  
> Lenore Cullen (S) - 5th Year  
> Cornelia Chambers-Parkinson (S) - 5th Year  
> Liana Bulstrode (S) - 5th Year - Prefect  
> Gabriel Goyle (S) - 4th Year - Slytherin Seeker  
> Greyson Hall (S) - 7th Year - Slytherin Quidditch Captain  
> Markus Montague (S) - 5th Year  
> Orson Davis (S) - 5th Year
> 
> Key:  
> (S): Slytherin


End file.
